tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70907183130561429672018-05-09T20:58:48.477-07:00My Three Loves- My Family, My Food, My Photography, Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-23800860917505289362018-05-09T20:58:00.001-07:002018-05-09T20:58:48.431-07:00My Three Loves- My Family, My Food, My Photography, : Dear Mom<a href="http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/05/dear-mom.html?spref=bl">My Three Loves- My Family, My Food, My Photography, : Dear Mom</a>: 04/26/18 Dear Mom, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I’m trying to think of what to write for your celebration on life party happening this Saturday at t...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/rJ7FchuBTZY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/05/my-three-loves-my-family-my-food-my.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-35004685776479969462018-05-09T20:53:00.001-07:002018-05-09T20:53:13.038-07:00Dear Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--F9glQyjBUs/WvPCGmT5UnI/AAAAAAAABC4/ReEA4LWjlAAS1YJNnu2tVN2OnK9EKe4WQCLcBGAs/s1600/23622243_10216619802677584_1587238582922424635_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="407" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--F9glQyjBUs/WvPCGmT5UnI/AAAAAAAABC4/ReEA4LWjlAAS1YJNnu2tVN2OnK9EKe4WQCLcBGAs/s320/23622243_10216619802677584_1587238582922424635_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: right;">04/26/18<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Dear Mom,<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>I’m trying to think of what to write for your celebration on life party happening this Saturday at the Coffee Company. The very first thing that comes to mind is, how do I even imagine my life without you? For so many years now, you have been, not only my mom, but my number one friend. My BFF. My secret holder. My shoulder to cry on. That mom-friend that would listen to my sarcastic stories and laugh, enjoying my humor. You have been that person to be that I have dreamed about! Our relationship as mother and daughter had evolved into a mother-daughter-bestfriend type-ship... I called you every day, sometimes twice a day… I called you when something great happened, or when I needed a recipe and couldn’t remember the exact process. If I was out of an ingredient, I would call you to see if there was something else I could use as a substitute. We shared many talks, many laughs… I would even call you when I was feeling emotional and just needed to cry. You were always there. Now all I have are memories, photos, and recipes to savor your life and your legacy. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>We are here today as family, including friends that are family… just as you would have wanted it to be. With that all being said, your love and passion for our family will live with me forever. As a kid, we would travel near and far to be with family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Being surrounded by family was the most important to you. You have taught me that family comes first, and blood is thicker than water (even when the blood is not the same as yours)! Thanksgiving was special!!! When I was a kid, we would get special outfits, and we always brought delicious side dishes… even though not many people LOVED the creamed onions… you loved them, and that’s all that mattered. Your brisket at Hanukkah was amazing too. And your potato latkes were the best!! I’m thankful every day that YOU taught me how to make them… even if that meant using a food processor to grate the potatoes! They were always a hit! When I make your recipes, sometimes I get complements; This is to me is validation that I’ve learned from the best! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>You have passed on your cooking skills to me, and I will cherish every dish I make, in memory of you. My passion for cooking is because of you! For my birthday every year, you would make tamale pie per my request. Not only would we have it for dinner that night, but we would sit together in the morning eating it for breakfast, followed by more tamale pie for lunch, and then again for dinner the following night. It was one of those meals that we could eat for a week and love every single bite. You always cooked for an army, so we would usually have no choice but to eat it for a week. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">Because of you, I grew up watching I Love Lucy, and the Food Network religiously. Therefore, I have a special love for the I Love Lucy show with Lucy and Ethel’s Friendship Sisterhood, and I grew up loving the art of cooking. We celebrated your 60<sup>th</sup>birthday with Lucy present and it was the best day ever. I have also come to know, Giada, Bobby Flay, and Ina Garten. It may seem like we knew them personally, and cooked many meals with them, but that was still just a dream for the two of us! They were just <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>some of your inspirations in cooking, and I know they would be proud of your passion. Because of you, I have learned to love life for the days we have together, the friendships we build on, and to cook meals for those we love. You have taught me to welcome people into my home with open arms, and to send them home with full bellies of food made with love.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">Lastly, because of your life long battle with illness, you have taught me what it is to treat people with compassion. You have taught me how to speak up and advocate, not only for myself, but to also advocate for others. You have taught me what the definition of strength is, because as we all know, you were the epitome of strength. I believe that your will to live and your constant activity, and refusing to sit and relax when we all told you so many times, is what kept you with us for so many more years than any of us could have ever dreamed of. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>When I think of your life, the majority of it was spent in and out of hospitals. You often told me that you felt like you were literally living in hell, on earth. Mom, I can’t imagine the pain and suffering you endured for so long. I always tried to see the positive in lifes’ little, and big moments for you. I would share my thoughts often, even if you didn’t want to hear what I had to say. I honestly feel you were an angel placed here on earth from the heavens. There were so many times when the patient next to you, in a shared room, needed something from the nurse. You were there to get them the help. You would talk to the family members, consoling them, educating them, making new friends, etc… I know you would get frustrated with the doctors and nurses, who would come in one by one and ask you the same questions over and over. But think of what an educator you were for them. How many times did you self-diagnose? How many times did you tell the doctor what medication you needed and why? Still to this day, so many medical professionals aren’t familiar with Celiac, and you were their source of knowledge. How many times do you think a medical student walked away from you and thought, WOW, I learned something today!! These thoughts that I am sharing with you are just that, they are my thoughts, and my feelings. Like I said, I can’t imagine how you felt, and It’s not fair that you were so sick, but you never let that stop you from doing anything that you wanted to do. <o:p></o:p></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> <o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> 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6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Mention"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Smart Hyperlink"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">I am thankful your pain and suffering is gone now, but my heart aches as I try to grasp the concept of you actually being gone from this life. I will live my life everyday with my memories of you, your strength, your love for food and cooking, and your love for our family. I know I can talk to you, although right now it is very difficult. I know you will always be with us… It’s not the same, but I am strong in my faith and I know we will meet again in the eternal life that is beyond this life. I’m thankful to have you as my mom…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I love you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/-6NMKMCDngY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/05/dear-mom.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-59068743493962510902018-01-15T08:43:00.001-08:002018-01-15T08:43:20.528-08:00Married with Iz: Dirt Dog Las Vegas<a href="http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/01/so-for-months-now.html?spref=bl">Married with Iz: Dirt Dog Las Vegas</a>: So for months now... We have been talking about going to Dirt Dog LA. I don't know if it's because we've been back to work, ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/_JWfBfT7Q-U" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/01/married-with-iz-dirt-dog-las-vegas.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-12750955834048411322018-01-15T08:33:00.000-08:002018-01-15T08:40:41.238-08:00Dirt Dog Las Vegas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Em76CA_dzbY/WlzXHv0pUHI/AAAAAAAAA-w/rhxqQ3zpuwYh_bMOmIQHVnj4SW1Y-kQnwCEwYBhgL/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1600" height="340" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Em76CA_dzbY/WlzXHv0pUHI/AAAAAAAAA-w/rhxqQ3zpuwYh_bMOmIQHVnj4SW1Y-kQnwCEwYBhgL/s640/unnamed-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: , , &quot;blinkmacsystemfont&quot; , &quot;.sfnstext-regular&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; outline: none; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" style="font-family: inherit;">So for months now... We have been talking about going to Dirt Dog LA. I don't know if it's because we've been back to work, our crazy schedules, or the fact that it's "all the way in Los Angeles," but we haven't made it out to the local location. So last weekend we were in Las Vegas visiting my mom, who was extremely ill and in the hospital. The day that we were going to be driving back home to Cali, we ventured away from the hospital for an hour or so to get a quick bite to eat before hitting the road. Much to our surprise, we came across a Dirt Dog Las Vegas! We were so excited to eat there, and thought it was funny that we had to travel all the way to Las Vegas to finally be trying some of these famous fixings! Who knew @dirtdoglv would be our first experience! Walking into the restaurant I felt like I had been transported back to LA and back in time. Tupac was playing in the background, and the place was loaded with artwork that represents the City of Angels. </span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: , , &quot;blinkmacsystemfont&quot; , &quot;.sfnstext-regular&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; outline: none; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8ebE9R4FsE/WlzXLB6qEFI/AAAAAAAAA-w/udTdDgaAApglxBHZuGeUq2CvnJCoh1M0ACEwYBhgL/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8ebE9R4FsE/WlzXLB6qEFI/AAAAAAAAA-w/udTdDgaAApglxBHZuGeUq2CvnJCoh1M0ACEwYBhgL/s320/unnamed-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: , , &quot;blinkmacsystemfont&quot; , &quot;.sfnstext-regular&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; outline: none; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" style="font-family: inherit;">Looking at the menu, we couldn't decide which dog to get, so we both ordered one and planned to share half and half. We got the Elote Dog, and the Patty Melt Dog. Unfortunately, after we ordered, our first visit to Dirt Dog took a turn for the crapper. I wasn’t super impressed. First, the girl taking our order didn't get both of our dogs in the order, so we had to do two transactions. Not a big deal... then, We ordered to sit and eat in the restaurant, but our order came to us as “to go.” <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Again, not such a big deal. I did feel the presentation in the to-go container kinda killed my first impression of the dogs though. They didn't look as great as we'd been seeing via social media. Looks can be deceiving I guess, especially when there's editing features on peoples phones and whatnot. The hot dogs were ok, I didn't find them to be amazing! I felt like the elite dog needed more of a sauce. The corn was a little dry. If the make the corn into more of an esguite mixture, and then put it on the hot dog, it would have more moisture. The bun on both hot dogs were dry which made them a little hard to eat. I did like the chipotle sauce on the Patty Melt dog, but it was still lacking. Maybe it needed more cheese?? </span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-fcM9rjHrM/WlzXA9iLSlI/AAAAAAAAA-w/a74fBtqTDDEyioZRP8TAxNwTRE1kaYGfQCEwYBhgL/s1600/26198195_10215813689085248_4978406921605742450_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1080" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-fcM9rjHrM/WlzXA9iLSlI/AAAAAAAAA-w/a74fBtqTDDEyioZRP8TAxNwTRE1kaYGfQCEwYBhgL/s320/26198195_10215813689085248_4978406921605742450_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />&nbsp;Lastly, my drinking glass had a chip at the top, but thankfully I saw it and avoided the area. The server working the floor did bring us deep fried Oreo as a sorry for all of the mishaps... I'm bummed our experience wasn't better. I feel like maybe if we go to the one in Los Angeles, we will be able to change our perception. There is nothing more frustrating than being disappointed in food though. &nbsp;<a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/sorrynotsorry" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#SorryNotSorry</a>&nbsp;<a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/foodie" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#Foodie</a><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/ihatebeingdisappointed" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#IHateBeingdisappointed</a>&nbsp;<a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/ilovefood" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#ILoveFood</a><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/baconwrappedhotdog" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#BaconWrappedHotDog</a>&nbsp;#<a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/elotedog" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#EloteDog</a><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/pattymeltdog" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">#PattyMeltDog</a><span class="fbPhotoTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowliftTagList" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: , , &quot;blinkmacsystemfont&quot; , &quot;.sfnstext-regular&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="fcg" style="color: #90949c; font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;— at&nbsp;<i class="_agk img sp_JU9pU6oTfe8_2x sx_d9fe92" style="background-image: url(https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yz/r/sWX_lfNFN5M.png); background-position: -85px -134px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 97px 385px; display: inline-block; height: 16px; margin-right: 3px; max-height: 16px; max-width: 16px; vertical-align: -2.9px; width: 11px;"></i><span class="fbPhotoTagListTag withTagItem tagItem" style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="taggee" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=952268358203804" href="https://www.facebook.com/DirtDogLV/?ref=stream" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Dirt Dog Las Vegas</a></span>.</span></span><br /><div id="fbPhotoSnowliftCTMButton" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;.SFNSText-Regular&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding-top: 16.390625px; width: 311.59375px;"></div><div class="fbPhotoProductTags" id="fbPhotoSnowliftProductTags" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline-block; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;.SFNSText-Regular&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; width: 328px;"></div><div class="pts fbPhotoProductsTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowliftProductsTagList" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;.SFNSText-Regular&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; padding-top: 5px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/GmKNsGukOpI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/01/so-for-months-now.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-36249483880616672292018-01-14T08:19:00.001-08:002018-01-14T08:19:38.904-08:00Married with Iz: New Name...<a href="http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/01/new-name.html?spref=bl">Married with Iz: New Name...</a>: It's been almost a year and a half since I've posted here on my blog... So much has happened in that time, and so much has changed. ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/h0hIh_FFnN0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/01/married-with-iz-new-name.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-2749735011038885052018-01-13T15:39:00.002-08:002018-01-13T15:39:22.877-08:00New Name...It's been almost a year and a half since I've posted here on my blog... So much has happened in that time, and so much has changed. Most things have happened and changed for the better, of course. My kids have grown older, Isabelle is almost 9, Jacob is 7 and Claire is 5. They are all attending school at St. Rose of Lima now, so I don't have multiple drop offs and pick ups anymore, which is awesome! As of July 2017, I became officially divorced. Although I never imagined myself going through something like that... I know in my heart that it was the right decision! So many events over this last year have validated my feelings, but I won't go into details... not yet at least. With the divorce, and the sale of our house, I was able to buy a condo for the kids and I to live in. The condo is one mile from our family home, so we are still close to their school, local friends, church, etc... Everything happens for a reason and I truly believe God has a plan. Things in my life have fallen into place a little more than usual, and the small circle of people I'm surrounded by are the BEST!!!!!<br />With all of that being said, I need to rename my blog. I am no longer "Married With Iz." I'm open to your suggestions and would love to hear some creative ideas. I am mostly a mom, foodie, public health student, photographer, <br />and I love food. So what do you suggest?<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OCMIZuXUDm8/WlqYjlFzVMI/AAAAAAAAA9o/sRxZK8dAK3gJVw2B-bbQFcw0tm7z9tF2ACLcBGAs/s1600/23916533_10215449721866295_7884471459507715578_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1343" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OCMIZuXUDm8/WlqYjlFzVMI/AAAAAAAAA9o/sRxZK8dAK3gJVw2B-bbQFcw0tm7z9tF2ACLcBGAs/s320/23916533_10215449721866295_7884471459507715578_o.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>Ryan Nichole<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/IaxLeyUtbew" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2018/01/new-name.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-56880875428182136402015-06-20T09:55:00.001-07:002015-06-20T14:18:57.410-07:00Cafe Firenze Feast of the Beast 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7BkvRzu7f8c/VYWa-Lqs-BI/AAAAAAAAAX8/eMDJCe14Ir4/s640/blogger-image-1915348930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7BkvRzu7f8c/VYWa-Lqs-BI/AAAAAAAAAX8/eMDJCe14Ir4/s640/blogger-image-1915348930.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I have to begin by saying that the staff at Cafe Firenze is always amazing!! They are welcoming with warm smiles, knowledgeable of the menu, seem to have a passion for food and you can tell they love their jobs- at least most of them (which is so important!). It says a lot about management when the staff is happy and that makes me want to support this business even more!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When I first heard about this event via social media, I got really excited! If you know me, you know I love fundraisers, supporting local organizations, and I LOVE food!!!! I then made the executive decision to attend, knowing my husband wouldn't object!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">As we arrived, I was surprised to find the outdoor portion of the event enclosed by chain link fence! My party planning mind wondered why they chose such an eye sore!? Were there other material options? Was it a budget issue? Who knows... I then realized I wasn't there to critique their chain link fence decor and my foodie mind then switched to what was important! The food!!!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was ecstatic because this event was going to be showcasing a roasted pig, a cow and house made sausages! Being such a foodie, my mind was floating all over and my expectations were high! I haven't had the opportunity to meet Fabio yet, but I knew with his name on the event, it was going to be great!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Entering the right side of the restaurant, we realized this is where the cow was being displayed! Honestly, I have no idea what part of the cow was being carved but it looked great!!&nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L20qN5-Awis/VYWlM4e3CDI/AAAAAAAAAYY/3bi2Tcz44IA/s640/blogger-image--1086504219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L20qN5-Awis/VYWlM4e3CDI/AAAAAAAAAYY/3bi2Tcz44IA/s640/blogger-image--1086504219.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now keep in mind this was our first time attending this annual event, so we had no idea what to expect! I was a bit surprised only one beef option was being served! Don't get me wrong, the meat was tender, the bread was soft and fresh and the Gorgonzola fondue was creamy with the perfect tang! I could have gone without the bread, only because I was there just for the meat!! I actually ended up requesting a plate of just meat ;-) the chef was kind and had a fun sense of humor! He gave me a generous portion topped with the balsamic glaze and a splat of Gorgonzola fondue on the side! My mini plate was now all I needed and wanted (for that tiny moment in time). I've never thought to use a balsamic glaze on beef, but HOLY COW... (Pun intended) it was delish!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">While I ate the mini plate of beef, my husband ventured out to the street taco food truck parked within the chain link fence!&nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b6RCQIr7wC8/VYWlMez3lWI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/8nk9K21Bsa0/s640/blogger-image--2071062167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b6RCQIr7wC8/VYWlMez3lWI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/8nk9K21Bsa0/s640/blogger-image--2071062167.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Smoked Carnitas (one of my loves) street tacos were provided my Scratch Ventura!! I cannot even begin to tell you how mouth wateringly delicious these tacos were! <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J_dHZ_MPM-M/VYWn5GOCN7I/AAAAAAAAAYo/Ay-wPIVO-dw/s640/blogger-image--698048518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J_dHZ_MPM-M/VYWn5GOCN7I/AAAAAAAAAYo/Ay-wPIVO-dw/s640/blogger-image--698048518.jpg"></a></div>The picture doesn't do these precious babies any justice! The meat was moist, tender with the perfect amount of crisp. The tomatillo salsa was flavorful with a kick, and the watermelon radish gave the tacos that little bit of crunch to satisfy my textural delight! I love cilantro on almost anything... Need I say more!? I was feeling full pleasure at that moment and could have left the event saying like Porky Pig, "Th Th Th Th Th, That's All Folks!" However, my stomach and my heart reminded me there was more to experience for these taste buds of mine!!! So until next time Scratch Ventura...&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Onward we must go... To the roasted pig we shall travel!! &nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DaxBuBUx-VE/VYW6dYDwb4I/AAAAAAAAAY8/vdBvTX3JtZQ/s640/blogger-image-1276058357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DaxBuBUx-VE/VYW6dYDwb4I/AAAAAAAAAY8/vdBvTX3JtZQ/s640/blogger-image-1276058357.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I have never seen such a pig! And to think... For 10 years I was a pescatarian! Babe was my favorite movie! Meat grossed me out, yet here I am, eating off a whole roasted pig! The pig was delish!! Very tender and moist as it should be! Nothing but the pure flavor of the pig! Served along side a tiny tiny salad with walnuts and blue cheese. Best combination- Creamy and Crunchy and Fresh! This pig has inspired me to cook more pork!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Lastly, we headed to the back of the restaurant... This is where we found the house sausages! <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ohuZSd1Nawg/VYXQqe8-HLI/AAAAAAAAAZY/VITFT09MT0g/s640/blogger-image--820141607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ohuZSd1Nawg/VYXQqe8-HLI/AAAAAAAAAZY/VITFT09MT0g/s640/blogger-image--820141607.jpg"></a></div>&nbsp;The lamb sausages were served atop a fancy plop of creamy polenta, peppers, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Once again, I am tastefully satisfied! Creamy polenta with anything at Cafe Firenze is heaven sent! One of the greatest comfort foods! Before this event, I'd never had a lamb sausage! I'm not usually a fan of sausages, but the freshness and smooth texture gave me confidence to try others in the future! (My husband is cracking up as I proof read this to him by the way... He's actually crying from giggling). Describing sausage is a new thing for me ;-) My only complaint is... There weren't other options! Oh and the beer paired with the sausage was AWESOME! Great Great beer! Enegren's Special brew was fresh, and crisp with a hint of banana! Nothing says summer to me like a cold bubbly beer! Excellent job!!&nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YCFEnTey_Gk/VYXQplHqB7I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/6qTVlyo3iT4/s640/blogger-image--787043312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YCFEnTey_Gk/VYXQplHqB7I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/6qTVlyo3iT4/s640/blogger-image--787043312.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Overall this experience was great! I'm hoping the Boys and Girls Club of Moorpark reached their goals from this event!! I would have liked more of a variety in all food areas! That would be my only disappointment (and not meeting Fabio)! &nbsp;The food was satisfying, the wine was good, the beer was fantastic, and the people were awesome!! For me, anything involving food, networking and a classy environment is always going to make for a nice time! Date Night with my Hubby benefiting charity... Can't wait until next year! We will be reserving a table, who's with us!?</div></div></div></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/aZ47Wwtpk2o" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2015/06/cafe-firenze-feast-of-beast-2015.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-13819853458088021432015-06-13T11:18:00.001-07:002015-06-13T11:39:34.754-07:00Hawaiian inspired Pork ChopsPer Ms. Lilly's request &nbsp;sorry for the delay...<br /><div><br /></div><div>4 thick cut pork chops (about 1 1/2 inches thick)- I bought mine from Jons Market in Simi which were $3.99 lb&nbsp;</div><div>1 cup white wine of your choice (choose something you would drink)</div><div>1 cup soy sauce (we used the Kikkoman Gluten Free Soy Sauce)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RQlsfSnI5OM/VXxz3k5uLuI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/nC5zeZ7NNU4/s640/blogger-image--753331837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RQlsfSnI5OM/VXxz3k5uLuI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/nC5zeZ7NNU4/s640/blogger-image--753331837.jpg" /></a></div></div><div>1 small can of Dole Crushed Pineapple<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x_S6KQJb3Ag/VXxz1R0z1GI/AAAAAAAAAXA/zdPDMfhAdGw/s640/blogger-image--1515450523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x_S6KQJb3Ag/VXxz1R0z1GI/AAAAAAAAAXA/zdPDMfhAdGw/s640/blogger-image--1515450523.jpg" /></a></div></div><div>1 tsp salt</div><div>1 tsp black pepper</div><div>2 tablespoons minced garlic (we buy the Kirkland minced garlic from Costco)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U5-8neFMwyQ/VXxz2IUyWMI/AAAAAAAAAXI/rp7jHuAsJaM/s640/blogger-image-192880849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U5-8neFMwyQ/VXxz2IUyWMI/AAAAAAAAAXI/rp7jHuAsJaM/s640/blogger-image-192880849.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Marinade for at least 4 hours</div><div><br /></div><div>Grill approximately 10 minutes per side or until each chop reaches an internal temp of 145 degrees... Making sure to char each side.&nbsp;</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z1Ebb9-yy7o/VXxz4PuDFwI/AAAAAAAAAXY/u4ZwYWtONS8/s640/blogger-image-831980806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z1Ebb9-yy7o/VXxz4PuDFwI/AAAAAAAAAXY/u4ZwYWtONS8/s640/blogger-image-831980806.jpg" /></a></div>Sorry this plated photo doesn't look professional and great... I was to excited to eat because they smelled sooooo good! I served them with a side of rice. My original plan was to pair them with artichokes; however, I failed to remember to cook them :-/ I will be enjoying the artichokes today!! Stay tuned...&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>This recipe is so easy and super delicious!!! I hope you Enjoy and please comment below how yours turns out&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/n_fwol1Z0oc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2015/06/hawaiian-inspired-pork-chops.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-41372325664939506322015-06-04T12:49:00.002-07:002015-06-09T13:40:33.429-07:00Rusty's Bar and Grill- Simi Valley<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>So, I am obviously a foodie if you haven't noticed by now. One of my favorite things to do (especially when kid free) is to try new places to eat. I have lived in Simi Valley for the last three years, and always seem to go to the same five or so places when needing a meal out. Actually, my family and I frequent Don Cuco's in Moorpark more than any place in Simi.... Don Cuco's has awesome service, delicious food, and the drinks are always refreshing and cold.... but that isn't the topic at the moment.<br><div><br></div><div>Yesterday I decided to visit Rusty's Bar and Grill based on Yelp reviews. Rusty's is located at&nbsp;<span class="mAa" style="-ms-text-overflow: ellipsis; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" title="2 93065 1368 Madera Rd Simi Valley, CA 93065"><span class="kQc">1368 Madera Road, Simi Valley, CA 93065</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">. From the outside, it looks like a typical sports bar. Dark windows, beer advertisements, and their logo of a red head with big chi chi's... Stepping inside, the&nbsp;restaurant&nbsp;seemed clean and well&nbsp;kept. I have to admit however, there was a fishy scent that hit me as soon as I walked in the door. Maybe they just made a fresh batch of fish and chips, maybe the smell was coming from the sushi restaurant next door.... nonetheless, I decided to give it a try! I like to give places the benefit of the doubt (most of the time).&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">The sever at the bar was friendly. I didn't get her name but she greeted us with a smile and seemed&nbsp;knowledgeable&nbsp;of the menu and drinks they had to offer. My go to drink is usually&nbsp;beer, but I decided to be&nbsp;adventurous&nbsp;and try a cocktail consisting of soju, sprite, and a splash of iced tea. I'd never heard of soju until yesterday! The drink I ordered was a Long Island type cocktail. It was refreshing, slightly sweet, with just the right strength!! If it was only for the drinks... I would go back... So the question is... What did I have to eat??</span></span></span><br><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;"></span><br><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;">Jalapeno bottle caps- The first order was sent out burnt. Thankfully the server noticed before they even came to us and sent them back. She kindly asked the cook to make another batch. Based on their name and my lack of research, I expected something similar to a jalapeno popper. Much to my surprise, these were merely sliced jalapenos, battered and fried. I wouldn't be shocked if they were straight out of a can or jar. I think fresh fried jalapenos would have a different texture, but I could be wrong! They were tasty, but I was not impressed. </span><br><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;"></span><br><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;">Fried Calamari- I am a huge lover of calamari!!! If calamari anything is on the menu, I have to try it! Again, I was not impressed. The batter was tasty, however the calamari was over cooked! Well don't calamari is not good! It was rubbery and hard on my jaw to chew. Since I was unimpressed my the jalapenos, I chose not to send back the order of fried calamari. </span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VzM332Pn4q4/VXdPPQhHVDI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/1wY2AHe1u54/s640/blogger-image--332164297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VzM332Pn4q4/VXdPPQhHVDI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/1wY2AHe1u54/s640/blogger-image--332164297.jpg"></a></div><br><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;"></span><br><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;">Buffalo Chicken Wings</span></div><div><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;">NOT MY FAVORITE! Something else I love... A good dose of hot and spicy chicken wings! Actually my mouth is watering as I sit here and think about the tangy spicy sauce! These on the other hand... Not so great! The wings themselves were over done. Well done! Over cooked. Whatever you want to call it! We ordered the wings with the sauce on the side because my husband isn't a fan of the spicy sauce. I lathered mine up and took a bite. The sauce was typical but not fantastic! Hooters has the best wings... From what I've experienced! Disappointed again :-/&nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ik_aUCBMD70/VXdPQJcDqgI/AAAAAAAAAWY/ItHUXxNnDWw/s640/blogger-image--864094100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ik_aUCBMD70/VXdPQJcDqgI/AAAAAAAAAWY/ItHUXxNnDWw/s640/blogger-image--864094100.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;"><br></span></div><div><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial;">Overall- the experience was nice! The restaurant was clean, the drinks were good and the food was just ok... Will I visit again!? Not sure! There are so many other places I haven't experienced yet as a foodie! Hoping the next stop will be delish and not fail to amaze me ;-)&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br></span></span></span></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/GMjEe58TFPg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2015/06/rustys-bar-and-grill-simi-valley.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-63217885968217864492015-05-17T20:59:00.001-07:002015-05-17T20:59:46.962-07:00The Rockfish ExperimentFrom what I'm reading on the internet, Rockfish is supposed to be a pretty tasty and a mild flavored fish... I must have gotten a bad batch because I was NOT impressed! I don't usually buy frozen fish because I try to keep our family dinners as fresh as possible, but one afternoon while shopping at JONS Market, I felt like trying something new! I Love Jons Market because of their variety of ethnic foods, and I've seen Rockfish on several cooking shows! I guess the difference between me and the cooking show chefs are the skills and knowledge for the fish. I am a total fish lover! I especially love sushi, and I love trying new things! I like to be adventurous and I LOVE FOOD!!!! Anyone that knows me will tell you, I spend about half of my day thinking and talking about food LOL!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-luQ_17cFTWQ/VVlcgGQiYtI/AAAAAAAAAVg/xG0NIz3bzmE/s1600/rockfish-14-x-18-for-ws2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-luQ_17cFTWQ/VVlcgGQiYtI/AAAAAAAAAVg/xG0NIz3bzmE/s320/rockfish-14-x-18-for-ws2.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br /><br />The About Food website describes Rockfish as being excellent no matter how its prepared. http://fishcooking.about.com/od/standardfish/p/rockfish_profil.htm<br /><br />I am willing to give it a second try, but I think I'll find it fresh and prepare for my meal better. Tonight I used a sauce I bought from Trader Joe's in Simi Valley! It's called Many Cloves of Garlic (Trader Joe's brand)... The sauce is awesome!! I've used it in the past to make a quick spaghetti sauce. Half this jar and a whole jar of Trader Joe's Marinara is a delish go to meal if I'm in a rush (which isn't the case). I thought for sure it would work for the rockfish! Garlic with anything is amazing!!!!! I sprinkled the top of the fish with salt and pepper, coated the rockfish with the Many Cloves of Garlic Sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese! Baked at 400 for about 25 minutes... and just like that, it was done! I know, I know... Fish and cheese don't pair well. I use the Parmesan cheese more as a crust when I cook tilapia. My kids and I love it! So for tonights meal, I served it along side an organic quinoa mix. My kids didn't seem to mind the flavor of the fish, but it wasn't good to my taste buds =-( I ate my small portion, but now I'm thinking... What shall I do with all this cooked fish? I thought of making a "tuna" type salad with it. Adding Mayo and a ton of seasoning. I don't want to just throw it out. I seriously HATE wasting food!! I could give it to the dog, but then I still feel like I'm cheating my kids a meal. Living on a budget, I try to use our food to the best of it's ability! What do you suggest? What would you do? I guess for now... this story it To Be Continued! I usually take pictures of my food but because I was so unhappy with the flavors, a picture didn't cross my mind. (That NEVER Happens!!!).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MO4rsCotdY8/VVlcnqzxUjI/AAAAAAAAAVo/U9b3DBtoftE/s1600/51147-many-clove-garlic-sauce.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MO4rsCotdY8/VVlcnqzxUjI/AAAAAAAAAVo/U9b3DBtoftE/s320/51147-many-clove-garlic-sauce.png" width="268" /></a></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/OHOY-o3SENU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-rockfish-experiment.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-68820215905553828172014-12-05T21:19:00.001-08:002014-12-05T21:19:30.952-08:00Simple Salmon1 large filet of salmon (enough for 4 people)&nbsp;<div>1 cup white wine (I like to use a wine I enjoy drinking... Guaranteed yum and I can enjoy a glass while I cook lol- I used a Chardonay)</div><div>1 small package of sliced baby Bella's&nbsp;</div><div>1/4 cup sliced black olives</div><div>1 tablespoon minced garlic&nbsp;</div><div>1 tsp salt</div><div>1 tsp pepper&nbsp;</div><div>1 tablespoon butter&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Season fish with salt and pepper... let sit while you Heat <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fxMKq4OVf3E/VIKR4b1yNhI/AAAAAAAAASs/18NzI7mSvYU/s640/blogger-image--1637264853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fxMKq4OVf3E/VIKR4b1yNhI/AAAAAAAAASs/18NzI7mSvYU/s640/blogger-image--1637264853.jpg"></a></div>pan and melt butter.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Add mushrooms and cook on med/high heat until they start to crisp and brown. Move them to the side and add salmon.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Reduce to medium heat and Brown salmon on both sides (add more butter if needed).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Add olives, garlic<br>and wine. Cook on medium heat until sauce reduced by half.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I paired the salmon with rainbow quinoa and steamed broccoli! My kids cleaned their plates!! Jacob had two helpings&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Enjoy!!! &nbsp;</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/vnir5XV0u0M" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2014/12/simple-salmon.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-36329147447054148672014-11-10T21:04:00.001-08:002014-11-10T21:05:48.216-08:00NEW- The Sandwich Spot in Simi ValleyWe tried this new Sandwich Spot in Simi Valley yesterday... Overall, I'd have to rate it a 4 out of 5. Why you ask!?&nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0-O_2Q9oH7g/VGGY6WFRqKI/AAAAAAAAASE/x1n_cnfz-bw/s640/blogger-image--159733696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0-O_2Q9oH7g/VGGY6WFRqKI/AAAAAAAAASE/x1n_cnfz-bw/s640/blogger-image--159733696.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div>Walking in, I was excited to see two fairly large tv screens with a current Football game on! Going to any restaurant that draws sports fans is usually a fun place to hang out and people watch. Except we weren't there to see the game, we were there to eat!</div><div><br></div><div>Looking at the menu, I couldn't decide on which sandwich to order! Almost all of them had very appealing ingredients! I then decided to post something on Facebook: asking friends to pick a number between 1 and 24 (the menu items by number). The first number called out was the number four aka "The Hulk!" Marinated chicken, avocado, bacon, all the fixings (adding their BOMB SAUCE- homemade jalapeño ranch), on a fresh sourdough roll... How could It go wrong!? &nbsp;</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gBFPrVEjWjU/VGGY5hfvLpI/AAAAAAAAAR8/pJJbIJrQe78/s640/blogger-image-2051545846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gBFPrVEjWjU/VGGY5hfvLpI/AAAAAAAAAR8/pJJbIJrQe78/s640/blogger-image-2051545846.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>All of the staff was very friendly! Our order was taken within five minutes of standing in line. Granted We were there a little after 1pm so they were busy! The owner was working hands on at the register while helping his staff behind the counter when needed. He seems very excited for his new restaurant to succeed, and if you know me, I'm all about promoting local businesses!&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Now getting to the 4 out of 5 rating... It took almost 20 minutes to get our sandwich! The rolls were being baked while we waited. I'm not complaining about waiting necessarily for us because we had time to hang out and wait. Going in there on a 30 minute lunch break could be a bit of a problem however! With that being said, the overall taste of the sandwich was good! I wasn't sure about the marinated chicken. It kind of reminded me of the chicken Subway uses in the microwave! I feel the sandwich would be better with a deli sliced marinated chicken instead. P.S. My hubby got "The 805" pictures below! He enjoyed it on their Dutch Crunch roll.&nbsp;</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9jBOrFNKyrQ/VGGY65gf2qI/AAAAAAAAASM/LqA1fG5Q3bg/s640/blogger-image--1476277525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9jBOrFNKyrQ/VGGY65gf2qI/AAAAAAAAASM/LqA1fG5Q3bg/s640/blogger-image--1476277525.jpg"></a></div>&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I will definitely go back to try another sandwich (or salad). I enjoyed all of the fixings... The pickles were great! The bread was amazing and so was the sauce! Go and try something! Comment below and share your experience! Let the owner know you are excited for him and you will help spread the word! Sending&nbsp;</div><div>good vibes to this new local business!!!&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>http://thesandwichspot.com/menus/simi_valley.pdf</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/WCFr7wdxH3Y" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2014/11/new-sandwich-spot-in-simi-valley.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-10615561507586037542014-11-09T08:03:00.001-08:002014-11-09T08:03:08.393-08:00Mommy adventure #1Headed for a night out with my mommy friend Alyssa for her Birthday!! We originally planned to go to Bogie's in Westlake Village! Arriving in Westlake around 7pm, not realizing Bogie's doesn't even open until 9pm... Being mommies, we aren't used to this late night stuff anymore ha ha. Bogie's would have been fun since I personally haven't been out dancing in years! I don't even know if I can dance these days. &nbsp;<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i47gnBjf9h0/VF-QMzZFd4I/AAAAAAAAARY/uc93FOiaoGc/s640/blogger-image--170803550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i47gnBjf9h0/VF-QMzZFd4I/AAAAAAAAARY/uc93FOiaoGc/s640/blogger-image--170803550.jpg"></a></div>We think quick and move on to plan two... Los Toros in Chatsworth it is!! Yes, we drove to Westlake and then drove all the way to Chatsworth! Alyssa had never experienced a Los Toros's house margarita!! What better than a birthday to celebrate with AMAZING margaritas!&nbsp;<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AjliTcNSsKg/VF-QOkowOwI/AAAAAAAAARo/SruLcqTvQt0/s640/blogger-image--407807328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AjliTcNSsKg/VF-QOkowOwI/AAAAAAAAARo/SruLcqTvQt0/s640/blogger-image--407807328.jpg"></a></div>Margaritas ordered at the bar... The bartender was super friendly, providing great service! I should have gotten his name and let the boss know! He made a special birthday shot for Alyssa which was loaded with yummy mango and tequila goodness!&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Once a small table opened up in the bar area, we decided to move... We wanted to people watch and would have a better view from the table. While waiting for our "small" appetizer sampler, we realized moving wasn't the best choice. The server for our table seemed annoyed and unconcerned with our needs. We didn't need much, but a water and some jalapeños would have been nice! She eventually brought the jalapeños but I physically had to go to the bar to ask for more water!?!? Overall, we had s great time, the food was delish (especially the carnitas), the margaritas never disappoint, and I got to spend time with my girl Alyssa for her bday!&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Now the question is... Where should we take our adventure to next!?!? Sur? STK? Would you like to join in on our fun adventures!? Comment below to let us know where! What are your ideas? The more adventurous the better!!! XOXO<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_R-y4nYb-Uk/VF-QN_nrruI/AAAAAAAAARg/UpG6Dyc5is8/s640/blogger-image--371510192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_R-y4nYb-Uk/VF-QN_nrruI/AAAAAAAAARg/UpG6Dyc5is8/s640/blogger-image--371510192.jpg"></a></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/bdSTrF0OxdQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2014/11/mommy-adventure-1.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-45804770450081927922014-07-10T12:52:00.004-07:002014-07-10T12:52:55.315-07:00Izzy's Gluten Free Mac&Cheese <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--myz1LHKW6g/U77u46J1lXI/AAAAAAAAAPY/IE_0OQlA4p8/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--myz1LHKW6g/U77u46J1lXI/AAAAAAAAAPY/IE_0OQlA4p8/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>1 box Organic Quinoa Pasta Shells<br />4 cups water to boil pasta<br />2 tblspn olive oil<br />2 tblspn butter<br />3 cups shredded cheese<br />1 cup greated Parmesan cheese<br />1 tblspn granulated garlic<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tsp black pepper<br />1 tsp paprika<br /><br />Boil shells until cooked through... Drain most of the liquid from the pan. I didn't use a strainer. Add butter and stir. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted together. Add all seasoning and stir! Super easy and Super YUMMY!!!<br /><br />Because my kids love hot dogs... I added slices of Hebrew National!<br /><br />Enjoy! 💗💗 <br /><br /><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/5-FHzumwx8o" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2014/07/izzys-gluten-free-mac.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-29135709309828966652014-07-07T16:01:00.000-07:002014-07-07T16:01:20.993-07:00Wishing Well Entertainment<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjFfqbCZs7U/U7smAJR6fRI/AAAAAAAAAO4/6-4VXRhaY3M/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pjFfqbCZs7U/U7smAJR6fRI/AAAAAAAAAO4/6-4VXRhaY3M/s1600/photo1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>Last week I headed the toddler program for the 2014 Williams Syndrome Convention. Over a period of about six months, my primary focus was to find entertainment for my little ones during the convention. I made countless attempts via email, phone, Facebook, etc... with many entertainment companies to try to find the impossible! My goal was to find individuals willing to donate their time due to my limited budget, being a nonprofit organization. Most people hear nonprofit, and don't want to even finish the conversation, sadly. What they don't seem to realize is they are not helping that one person on the phone, but they will soon be touching the souls of many!!<br /><br />And then I came across Wishing Well Entertainment via Facebook! One of my Facebook "friends" happened to "like" a photo of WWE's from an event they had just done. At first glance, I was impressed by the beauty of the Princess and her costume. She looked as if she stepped straight out of the Disney movie! I then found myself on their Facebook page, going through all of their photos! WOW!!! They are all stunning, and their costumes are great! Not only do they have princesses, but there is a Spiderman, Kristoff, Superman, Woody, and so many more!<br /><br />I took a deep breathe and sent a private message through their Facebook page, explaining the organization and the upcoming national convention taking place in Anaheim this July! Much to my surprise, Kalinda responded within about 30 minutes!!! She was immediately excited and more than willing to donate entertainment to my program! Over the next couple of months, we kept in contact through email. Everytime we talked, our conversation was delightful! About a week before our scheduled performance date, I wrote to confirm the location, time, etc... We hadn't spoken of who exactly was going to be joining us. I was excited to find out because I was going to plan a craft around the entertainer. She informed me that Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and Kristoff from Frozen would be attending! OH MY GOODNESS I wanted to cry! The kids were going to be so excited due to the popularity of the film! Two days before their arrival, Kalinda emailed me stating that Cinderella would like to donate her time as well!!!!!! Now I'm crying! I was so full of joy, excitement, and thanks! My heart was full! What an amazing group! Donating two hours for kids with special needs! Did I mention they weren't just coming to meet the children... But they were going to do a little storytelling, magic, face painting, singing, and a Meet and Greet??<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4yPVdmOIX5c/U7smATOVEeI/AAAAAAAAAO8/aa3IfU9q_Ps/s1600/photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4yPVdmOIX5c/U7smATOVEeI/AAAAAAAAAO8/aa3IfU9q_Ps/s1600/photo2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>I had all of the children sit in front of the door of our large entertainment room, and we all had to be quiet to listen for the knock! It was the knock that would lead to hours of magic! My daughter Isabelle answered the door! When Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Kristoff and Cinderella walked through those doors, the children's faces lit up! I actually had to turn the other way for a minute because I was totally going to lose it LOL<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQbHxZlQu4s/U7smAQztBWI/AAAAAAAAAPA/zKonKAEuhRo/s1600/photo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQbHxZlQu4s/U7smAQztBWI/AAAAAAAAAPA/zKonKAEuhRo/s1600/photo3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>I cannot say thank you enough to Kalinda and her friends!!!!! They are Kind, Generous, Loving and full of Beauty! They have imprinted on my heart and I will never forget how awesome all of them are!! I had a parent crying because her three year old son with Williams Syndrome had such an amazing time with the princesses (he's a little ladies man). Thank You, Thank You,<br /><br /><br /> Thank You!!!!!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/KFlXt1WkpUU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2014/07/wishing-well-entertainment.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-70528906969043274202012-06-09T07:54:00.001-07:002012-06-09T07:54:50.115-07:00Mom's Dinner RequestsI used to get annoyed when my mom would ask me at 6AM what I wanted for dinner. I'd think to myself, "It's only 6AM, I haven't even had breakfast... Why is she asking me now??" That was my thought process as a teenager! I couldn't get past breakfast let alone dinner which was 12 hours away! Now that I am a mother of almost three kiddos, I totally get it! The meat has to defrost... DUH! Not only does the meat need to thaw out, but time management is crucial when kids are involved! Even if the meat was taken out the night before to defrost, how shall it be prepared! Shall I try a new recipe, make something I know the kids WILL eat, do I need to go to the grocery store? I think about food often, now that I'm a MOM. When I am home and able to prepare a great home cooked meal, I like to prepare it when my kids take a nap! If the recipe requires hours of cooking, nap time is the perfect time to begin the meal preparation! If dinner goes in the oven between one and two PM, it will be done by four or five! Brisket for example is one of my favorite cuts of meat to cook (when it's on sale, or bought for a fantastic price at Costco- one of my favorite places); however, it needs HOURS to cook in order to turn out tender!<br /><br />I don't feel dinner would be such an issue if Isabelle didn't have Celiac! Because of her gluten intolerance, I can't just grab a box of something pre-made and throw it on the stove! Even boxed rice side dishes contain gluten! Everything contains gluten... and sometimes reading the ingredients on the label isn't enough! I literally have to call the factory if I feel unclear about the contents! Isabelle's Doctor told me that if the package doesn't say Gluten Free, NEVER assume it is just based on the ingredients! What really gets me is when a product says Gluten Free, but then in small bold print it will say, processed in a factory containing wheat, etc... Cross contamination is something that cannot be ignored. Another reason we don't eat out often! But that's a whole other story!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I0Ru7yhXF3Y/T9NjnAWBT3I/AAAAAAAAAH4/731fkU7Xgf0/s1600/fried+tilapia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I0Ru7yhXF3Y/T9NjnAWBT3I/AAAAAAAAAH4/731fkU7Xgf0/s320/fried+tilapia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Now I ask myself, what shall we have for dinner tonight? Maybe I will make gluten free fish fry! We bought a great package of fresh tilapia for inexpensive at Costco the other day! Makes great fish fry and the kids love it!! It might not be the healthiest meal because it's fried, but over all we are a healthy family! I don't feel bad eating fried foods once in a while! Now do I pair it with steamed broccoli of asparagus? Hhhmmmmm. With that said... I think I have made my mind up on what to make for dinner! Happy Saturday everyone!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/Io24Gi1VDA8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2012/06/moms-dinner-requests.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-48039671795817632011-11-17T10:56:00.000-08:002011-11-17T10:56:17.324-08:00Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan2 large eggplants<br />2 jars of marinara sauce (I always double check with the company to make sure the sauce is gluten-free), or you can always make your own sauce. This particular day, I was a little lazy! If you do use your own sauce, I would suggest making it a day in advance to save time.<br />1 Lb. grated mozzarella<br />1 cup fresh grated&nbsp;Parmesan<br />4 eggs<br />4 cups of gluten-free bread crumbs (Glutino is my brand of choice for MOST gluten-free products I buy) Please see their website and check out their huge variety of items!! www.glutino.com<br />1/4 cup of milk<br />vegetable oil for frying the eggplant<br />salt- one tsp for the eggplant and one tsp for the bread crumbs<br />pepper- 1/2 tsp for the eggplant and 1/2 tsp for the bread crumbs<br />garlic powder-&nbsp;one tsp for the eggplant and one tsp for the bread crumbs<br />Italian seasoning-&nbsp;one tablespoon for the eggplant and one tablespoon for the bread crumbs<br />If you would like it to have a little bite, add 1 tsp of chili flakes or 1/8 of a tsp to the mixture<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uLVlrvro7lc/TsVMZwaogsI/AAAAAAAAAGY/U3S9K1iq3tU/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uLVlrvro7lc/TsVMZwaogsI/AAAAAAAAAGY/U3S9K1iq3tU/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><ul><li>Cut the top and bottom off the eggplant. Peel the eggplant, and then slice it into 1/4" thick pieces.&nbsp;</li><li>Season the eggplant lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.&nbsp;</li><li>Heat the oil in a large saucepan that will be able to hold several pieces of eggplant at one time.</li><li>While the oil is warming up, beat the eggs and the milk in a medium bowl.&nbsp;</li><li>Put the bread crumbs into a large zip lock bag. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.&nbsp;</li><li>Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture, then into the zip lock bag. Close the bag tightly and shake well, to ensure the eggplant is evenly coated.&nbsp;</li><li>Fry the eggplant at medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until each side is golden brown.&nbsp;</li><li>Place fried eggplant on paper towels while you fry the rest, to get rid of some of the excess oil. (I usually snack on the small slices, and save the large ones for the casserole.)</li><li>Place one layer of eggplant in a large casserole dish. Spread an even layer of marinara sauce over the eggplant, then add &nbsp;1/2 the&nbsp;Parmesan&nbsp;and 1/2 the&nbsp;mozzarella to the top.&nbsp;</li><li>You may not need both jars of sauce. It depends on how much sauce you like. I usually use about 1 1/2 jars.&nbsp;</li><li>Add one more layer of eggplant, sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella...</li><li>Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until the cheese is bubbling and a beautiful golden color.&nbsp;</li></ul><div>Enjoy!!!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6cMfi70paeE/TsVW3_Q0R9I/AAAAAAAAAGg/BL6BIFzNVmE/s1600/298810_2425254680828_1535344032_3615539_445282426_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6cMfi70paeE/TsVW3_Q0R9I/AAAAAAAAAGg/BL6BIFzNVmE/s320/298810_2425254680828_1535344032_3615539_445282426_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>Please leave your comments once you have made this yummy dish! I love to hear about people enjoying food!&nbsp;Especially&nbsp;comfort food like eggplant Parmesan!! Cooking is one of my passions! Since my daughter has to be on &nbsp;gluten-free diet, I am on a mission to adapt all recipes! I wouldn't want her to have to miss out on something so delicious!</div><div><br /></div><div>This dish also makes for great leftovers! It's even better the next day! I sometimes even eat it for breakfast!&nbsp;</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/5ikn8Oiny20" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/11/gluten-free-eggplant-parmesan.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-65188951311365461682011-07-24T07:18:00.000-07:002011-07-24T07:18:02.670-07:00Family Beach Day!!!We have gone to the beach a few times this summer, but this day was especially great! First of all, it was just the four of us. Our family unit! My loves, My life, My joy! Daddy, Mommy, Izzy, and Jake! We packed the car full of umbrella's, a small cooler, towels, a blanket for sand, lots of sunscreen, and lunch. Off we went to Malibu! Zuma beach is one of my favorites! Ryan and I really enjoy the beach, so incorporating it into our family life is very important! The beach is calming, relaxing, peaceful, and makes for a great playground full of exploration and fun!<br /><br />What a perfect day! The sun was shining down on us, early this morning! We arrived in Malibu around 10AM. Not a cloud in the sky. Mommy and Daddy set up camp, and the kids were already digging in the sand! Isabelle dived in to her sand toys, while Jacob discovered the flavors of seaweed. Daddy tried to take Iz to the water, but the cold temperatures of the Cali Pacific Ocean, scared her off. I'm positive if we were in Hawaii or something, we wouldn't have been able to get her out of the water! Instead of playing in the water, Iz spent her time building sand castles with daddy. She also got&nbsp;buried&nbsp;in the sand for the first time! She wasn't a huge fan, but she loved&nbsp;bury&nbsp;daddy! Jacob spent all of his time on the sand exploring. He LOVED eating the sand and pretty much anything else he could get into his mouth. I spend my time following him around, keeping things out of his mouth.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lBSC7yxsAGA/TiwpfDsyZtI/AAAAAAAAAGE/ln01AYKO5Ko/s1600/074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lBSC7yxsAGA/TiwpfDsyZtI/AAAAAAAAAGE/ln01AYKO5Ko/s320/074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>These are the days I live for! There is nothing better than a day at the beach with the ones you love!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/I3lyt-foRr0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/07/family-beach-day.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-59402652357112531732011-07-09T14:57:00.000-07:002011-07-09T14:57:41.090-07:00Adventure #2 of the Szechuwan Garden 07/08/11I'm Sitting on the couch watching The Food Network's show, "Food Network Star," thinking... could that be me?? Could I be the next Food Network Star? LOL for this moment in time, I guess not. I can dream though, right!?! Food is one of my many passions. I love eating food, I love cooking food, and I love trying new and interesting food. My stars may not be in line for the Food Network yet, but for now I will settle for discovering the Szechuwan Garden of Moorpark.<br /><br />Today's picks, which came from my lovely Facebook friends are #'s 25 and 100. Number 25 is Kung Pao Shrimp. Love it!! Woot, Woot (Thanks Niki!). Number 100 is Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce (sounds yummy, thanks Rachel). Today is a shrimp day! I love shrimp and I've had Kung Pao, so I'm not feeling intimidated at all.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rDxRWo0En7c/ThjNskIY8qI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Irhuk0WBMqU/s1600/IMAG0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rDxRWo0En7c/ThjNskIY8qI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Irhuk0WBMqU/s320/IMAG0152.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br /><br />The Kung Pao Shrimp was yummy as I was anticipating. I expected the sauce for the Kung Pao to be&nbsp;spicier, so that was a little disappointing... and then I bit into a chili. My&nbsp;tongue&nbsp;was burning along with the back of my throat. I spoke to soon, or I guess in my case since I was alone, I jinxed myself. I love the peanuts in the Kung Pao for the crunch factor, and the water chestnuts add a cooling factor. For me personally, there were a little too much of the water chestnuts, and not enough peanuts. Overall it was tasty and I would order it again.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rM2RKinGtI/ThjNmShHuJI/AAAAAAAAAF0/WxYhnO-e7mc/s1600/IMAG0150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rM2RKinGtI/ThjNmShHuJI/AAAAAAAAAF0/WxYhnO-e7mc/s320/IMAG0150.jpg" width="191" /></a>The Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce was delish! I'm so glad this item was chosen for me! I don't know if I would have ordered it on my own. Not because I don't like black beans... I love black beans! I guess I just couldn't imagine a black bean sauce with shrimp. I'm not a picky eater, so I was excited to try something new! However; I have to say, I wasn't thrilled when I saw the green bell pepper mixed in with the shrimp. I usually pick those out of dishes, or I omit them when cooking at home. They are bitter, and just not one of my favorite veggies. I decided to take a bite of the green bell pepper first. If I could eat the pepper, than I felt I would be able to eat the shrimp. To my&nbsp;surprise, the pepper was great! The sauce was a little sweet and had a bit of a creamy texture. I think that caused the pepper to taste more mild than bitter. This dish also had onion in it which was a little&nbsp;caramelized. I&nbsp;absolutely&nbsp;love&nbsp;caramelized&nbsp;onion!! I will for sure order the Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce again!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--qxQwO0L_Mg/ThjNp2jqeNI/AAAAAAAAAF4/WZ6XtmnvFpw/s1600/IMAG0151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--qxQwO0L_Mg/ThjNp2jqeNI/AAAAAAAAAF4/WZ6XtmnvFpw/s320/IMAG0151.jpg" width="191" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6ghFMbVCME/ThjNuwrSiMI/AAAAAAAAAGA/wG8-YojK81I/s1600/IMAG0153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6ghFMbVCME/ThjNuwrSiMI/AAAAAAAAAGA/wG8-YojK81I/s320/IMAG0153.jpg" width="191" /></a>Today I decided to order these items off of the lunch menu. The lunch menu gives you fried rice, an appetizer, and a&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;salad. If you eat in the&nbsp;restaurant, you get a choice of soup, but for take out, it's an extra charge. Booooooo. The fried rice was nothing like the fried rice you can order off their menu. It was literally just fried rice. It didn't have carrots, peas, or egg in it. It was just rice. I should have just gotten the steamed rice. I would have been happier. The appetizer was a single fried Wonton, which was ok. I love anything fried, so I can't really complain about it. Just wasn't AMAZING. The salad was also a joke! It consisted of lettuce and lettuce LOL with a simple Asian dressing. The dressing was sweet, but there wasn't much of it, so I can't really give an effective comment. Next time I will order the items solo, and not order them as a part of the lunch special.&nbsp;<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/9d7f5Fou6qM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com2http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/07/adventure-2-of-szechuwan-garden-070811.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-25112344023796863132011-07-02T15:08:00.000-07:002011-07-02T15:08:52.918-07:00Adventure #1 of the Szechuwan Garden 06/30/11Recently I discovered a local Chinese resturaunt which offers 189 different menu options!<br /><br />I originally went there for their Wor Wonton soup sometime last week. I was suffering from a severe sinus infection/upper respiratory infection and felt that soup might do me some good! The soup was delicious and did make me feel better, but ultimately wasn't the cure. Since the soup was yummy, I considered ordering a different menu item in the near future! I love trying new places! and we ALL know... I LOVE FOOD!<br /><br />On Thursday I was craving Chinese food! Staring at to go menu for the Szechuwan Garden, I was feeling overwhelmed with how huge their selection was! 189 items?? Really! How was I ever going to decide! If you know me, I have the hardest time deciding on a place to eat, let alone deciding what I want from that place LOL.So I had an idea! How about I let my Facebook friends pick something for me! I asked my friends to pick a number between 1 and 189!<br /><br />My friend Andrea was the first to respond. She chose #74- Chicken Cream Corn Soup. My husband was the second to respond. Of course he chose the #69- Pu Pu Platter (Assorted Appetizer). Sorry, I have to laugh! LOL... HHmmm I thought to myself! Neither really sounded good. I should go with the first choice since I did ask for someone to pick a number. I like corn chowder. Would it be similar?? and What the heck is the Pu Pu platter? I couldn't decide LOL even though someone had already decided for me =-) Sorry folks, This is how my brain works. I pretty hungry, so maybe I should get both? I dunno what to do... AAhhhh<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v13ieMrx_B8/Tg-RcwNteOI/AAAAAAAAAFw/ARXy1VUvtKY/s1600/IMAG0135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v13ieMrx_B8/Tg-RcwNteOI/AAAAAAAAAFw/ARXy1VUvtKY/s320/IMAG0135.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Well I ended up getting both along with my husbands request for fried rice. We decided to try the House Fried Rice (#186), which had chicken, beef, and shrimp! The fried rice was great! Each piece of meat had a nice coating of a light batter and the seasoning was perfect. Sometimes I find fried rice to be a little bland, but not this one! It was delicious and fried. Two of my favorite things... This meal was not figure friendly.<br /><br />The Pu Pu Platter (for two) came with fried shrimp, beef on a stick, some kind of ground meat in the shape of a&nbsp;crescent, bbq pork, and spring rolls. The fried shrimp was good except, as I got closer to the tail, I saw the huge poop filled vein. That kind of grossed me out. The beef on a stick was good. Had the taste of All spice I think. The crescent shaped thing was interesting. It smelled and tasted a little like cat food. I think it was chicken, but needless to say, I didn't finish the whole thing (I've never actually tasted cat food just for the record). The bbq pork was good! It tasted like any other bbq'd pork I've had at other Chinese&nbsp;restaurants. Lastly for the Pu Pu Platter, the spring rolls. They fit into the standard category as well. Tasty with the hot mustard is how I like them!<br /><br />The Chicken Cream Corn Soup was actually my favorite out of the whole meal! I will&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;order that another time! It reminded me of Egg Flower Soup, with the addition of corn and chicken. I am a soup lover and since I have been sick, it was warm and comforting!<br /><br />Overall, I would say my experience was interesting. I'd like to try this&nbsp;experiment&nbsp;again, just to see what numbers people pick and what kind of items come out of it. Until next time... Keep eating!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/KNuFwvBD210" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com1http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/07/adventure-1-of-szechuwan-garden-063011.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-70558534550590818022011-06-24T13:24:00.000-07:002011-06-24T13:24:17.002-07:00Oaks Korean BBQ- June 18th 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8_aNZ45lew/TgTwgNKbZHI/AAAAAAAAAFA/Rwo4k4eC1Dc/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8_aNZ45lew/TgTwgNKbZHI/AAAAAAAAAFA/Rwo4k4eC1Dc/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a>The Mommy Network chose Oaks Korean BBQ for our June Mom's Night Out. It's located at 1970 Sequoia Ave in Simi Valley. Priscilla recommended, and the rest of us agreed. It sounded yummy! Who doesn't like BBQ? I have to say, we had a great time, and the food was delicious! The service was pretty good! Our server was very friendly and shared all of the important details on the menu. I couldn't tell you exactly what we ordered, but it was family style. We shared three different BBQ items, pork, beef, and shrimp. The BBQ items were served on hot plates with&nbsp;caramelized&nbsp;onions! YUM! Since we decided to share family style, we were also served a "large" appetizer, miso soup, six side dishes, and dessert! The appetizer looked like egg foo young, but I don't know if it had egg in the ingredients. It was some kind of&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;comfort food! The side dishes were delicious! I LOVED the bean sprouts! They were marinated in&nbsp;sesame&nbsp;oil and other unknown seasoning. The soup was warm and comforting! I could have Miso soup everyday! Polar bear is only so lucky (wink, wink). And for dessert, we had mochi ice cream (I think&nbsp;that's&nbsp;how you spell it), another one of my loves- Strawberry, vanilla, and green tea flavored! On top of the BBQ, we all shared a few sushi rolls. Yep! They have sushi too! It isn't often when I eat until I'm full, but tonight was one of those nights =-) Thank You Priscilla for suggesting Oaks Korean BBQ. I'd never had Korean BBQ, and I'm glad I tried it! I'm looking forward to having a nice dinner there with my husband next!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/SdoMAhOXNdI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/06/oaks-korean-bbq-june-18th-2011.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-55432055246729622262011-06-17T13:47:00.000-07:002011-06-17T13:47:12.897-07:00The Mommy NetworkFeburary 28th 2011, a few friends (Andrea, Mandy, and Jessica) and I started a Mommy group!! We decided to name it THE MOMMY NETWORK!!!! In the last few months, we have accrued 90 plus members, had several playdates, &nbsp;family events, and even organized our first fundraiser walk for The Williams Syndrome Association! Starting the group has been such a positive experience for me! I have made several great mommy friends, and my kids have made friends that I hope will last them their lifetime! Some days it's a challenge just getting out the door with two kids, but meeting up with The Mommy Network is always worth the challenge! The kids have a great time, and I get to enjoy a little adult conversation. We share stories about things like potty training, how to get our kids to eat, and family vacations! Of course, our conversation never go without interruptions. That's ok though, we are all used to the chaos. If one kid isn't getting into some kind of&nbsp;mischief, than another one is.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkUx5c07h-I/Tfu9QAU1MkI/AAAAAAAAAE4/7tlNwemkr34/s1600/600_22431785.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkUx5c07h-I/Tfu9QAU1MkI/AAAAAAAAAE4/7tlNwemkr34/s320/600_22431785.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Family events are a great way for daddy's to get to know one another. We are hoping to set up a beer tasting and/or poker night for the daddy's in the near future! Last month we went to Kid's Adventure Garden (Thousand Oaks), and the month before that, we went to the Underwood Farm here in Moorpark. I think there were at least 15 families that showed up! The weather was perfect, sun shining with blue&nbsp;sky's. The farm is a lot of fun! It's inexpensive and outdoors, which all of the kids LOVE! Being outside is the greatest adventure when you are young, right?? Next Month we have a BBQ planned for the 4th of July.<br /><br />Another AWESOME event we plan once a month is a Mom's Night Out. Mom's need a little "Me" time, and what better way to spend it than with some other Fantastic Mommy's! We usually start with dinner, and then head out on the town for a little excitement.Last month was dinner and bowling. Those that couldn't make it (myself included) went to dinner and a movie the following week. This&nbsp;Saturday, June 18th&nbsp;is this months MNO which I'm super excited for! We are going to a highly&nbsp;recommended&nbsp;Korean BBQ joint, and then I think we are going to find a place that does&nbsp;Karaoke! I might need a few cocktails to actually get up there and sing, but it's going to be fun no matter what! P.S. I have a Designated Driver (Woot, Woot).<br /><br />The Mommy Network is a positive group of wonderful people! There is only good in our future! Our glass is half full! I cherish the friendships I have made and look forward to what's to come! Thank you ladies (and gentlemen) for enriching my life!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/clKOCAkjwXs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/06/mommy-network.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-14031550480913134412011-06-15T14:54:00.000-07:002011-06-15T14:54:13.963-07:00Beach day with the Mommy's and now it's time to RELAX!!We have had a great day so far; although, daddy is stuck doing Jury Duty!<br /><br />The morning Didn't start off well because Isabelle was melting down by 9AM! I was hoping that wasn't a&nbsp;glimpse&nbsp;of how the rest of the day was going to be! We've had this beach day planned for at least two weeks. &nbsp;I was especially excited today because my mom, sister, and nephew Braydon were going to join us! They arrived at the house around 9:45... and we were off! Isabelle still had a few issues in the car, but once she realized where we were going, she finally started to get excited! It's funny... she recognizes Malibu Canyon and knows we will be driving through three tunnels! She yells out, "Mommy, tunnels soon!!!" and then proceeds to tell me all about the sand she is going to play in! I love that she can now communicate with full sentences! It makes our days so much more interesting and exciting for me as a parent! I'm amazed at the vocabulary she has thus far!<br /><br />The scheduled&nbsp;forecast&nbsp;for Moorpark (where I live) is a high of 83 degrees, with a bit of haze. LOL- why when we get to Zuma, is it 65 degrees, completely foggy with a chilly breeze? Oh well. What matters is we are outside and surrounded by great mommy friends (and their kids of course). We all know kids don't care if it's a little cool outside! They were having a ball, as soon as their little toes hit the sand! Sand, toys, water, and food! OOOooh My! Couldn't ask for anything more! Everyone had a blast, and the kids were exhausted when it was time to leave. Mission accomplished! However, for some reason, my kids are refusing to nap today. Go figure! They are playing in their beds! And of course I spoke too soon! Now Jacob is screaming. To get him, or not to get him?? Hhhmmmm I will give it a few minutes! I sure would love a nap myself! Mommy's don't usually get naps though! Right?!!<br /><br />So far, it's been a pretty good day! Can't complain! I LOVE my kids and look forward to everyday! Even the hard exhausting days! I wouldn't trade this life for another! I am blessed and thankful for everyday I have to spend with my family and friends! <br /><br />&nbsp;<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/R9gRptfWW9s" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/06/beach-day-with-mommys-and-now-its-time.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-1943067402691608542011-02-25T07:33:00.000-08:002011-08-04T08:47:21.594-07:00Visits from HeavenI woke up this morning thinking about my dad... It's been a while since he's visited me (over two years- I was pregnant with IZ) and I can't help but wonder. How is he doing? Does he come around often? Has he seen my kids? What does he think of the life I lead? What would our relationship be like now? Would he have gotten the proper help he needed to fully recover... with the support of his now adult children?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vKboUR3hjs/TWfLvEHi0jI/AAAAAAAAADo/R_Yq31glTe0/s1600/36694_1491285132173_1535344032_2158900_4258823_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vKboUR3hjs/TWfLvEHi0jI/AAAAAAAAADo/R_Yq31glTe0/s320/36694_1491285132173_1535344032_2158900_4258823_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The first time he visited me in a dream, it had been less than a year since he'd been gone. I was living in my apartment with my roommates Brian and Stephanie. I remember specific things about the dream. The setting was my 5th Birthday party on Stanridge in Lancaster. We were in the house and everyone was sitting on the calico colored carpet, playing a party game. The walls were very white and plain around us. I knew others were there but did not see them directly. My dad was sitting straight across from me. We made eye contact, and in my mind, I couldn't understand why I was seeing him. I kept telling myself he was gone... how is it possible for him to be here?? Thats when I knew it wasn't just a dream! It felt so real! I believe it to be a real meeting, straight from heaven. I didn't touch or smell him, but we met eyes, and I knew it was really him! He was stopping by to console my pain of his passing. Waking up that morning, I was in full blown hysterics. I wanted him to hold me, but knew that wasn't possible. Even though I was so upset, I knew he was with me and seeing his face was the beginning of my healing. The days and months to follow, I longed for another visit. I can't remember how much time had passed, but I did in fact SEE HIM AGAIN...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/JgGp5G68bek" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/02/visits-from-heaven.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7090718313056142967.post-33621857890055892292011-02-23T16:54:00.000-08:002011-02-23T16:54:06.467-08:00MNO #2 Feb 19th 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1fo4JfHwCC4/TWWrArV1JZI/AAAAAAAAADg/i7K4nt2QUpg/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1fo4JfHwCC4/TWWrArV1JZI/AAAAAAAAADg/i7K4nt2QUpg/s320/019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>First I must say, I have met an amazing group of women! Joining the mom's group was one of the best things I could have done! It's been great for my children, and I'm thankful for the friends I have made for myself! We share similar stories dealing with parenting, marriage, and sometimes recipes, just to name a few! We get together about two times a week for playdates. Some playdates have been at a number of local parks, and often, one of the mommies opens their home, for all of us to play. Coffee and snacks are always provided, including gluten-free stuff for Isabelle!!! The mommies have been super cautious when buying snacks that all the kids can enjoy, which means a lot to me! During the playdates, We take turns running after the kids while the rest of us enjoy a little adult conversation. Everyone I have met has been soooo nice, and I look forward to meeting many more!<br /><br />One of the monthly activities of the group is a MNO (Mom's Night Out). How important is that!!! Sooooo important! Mommies need their time away from the kids, and getting together with the other women is always a blast! I have only been to two MNO so far but look forward to many, many more!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urZU32M3lwU/TWWokXiM0ZI/AAAAAAAAADc/7VfeV_iM8qQ/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-urZU32M3lwU/TWWokXiM0ZI/AAAAAAAAADc/7VfeV_iM8qQ/s320/025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This month we decided to go to Cafe Firenze located here in Moorpark. For those of you who don't know, &nbsp;Cafe Firenze is owned by the Top Chef Fabio Viviani. He was the Top Chef Season 5 fan favorite. Very yummy eye candy, and his voice and accent could melt any woman. Ok, ok, back to the night and enough about Fabio lol.... They have a happy hour from 5pm-7pm which happened to work out perfect for all of us! I was a little&nbsp;disappointed&nbsp;there wasn't any food on the happy hour menu, but you can't beat their $4 martini's! Happy hour is usually only honored at the bar, but the manager was nice enough to let our group of 10 move to the bar tables, with the $4 special. I personally had the pomegranate martini. It was dangerously delicious! We all shared the Calamari E Zucchini, and a vegetable platter. Everyone then ordered dinner. I wasn't super hungry so I decided to order another appetizer. I chose Crostini Di Pancetta. It was delicious and more than enough for one person! I love their food and can't wait to try something new from the menu!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1SSV0wAe4JQ/TWWrTMv7D3I/AAAAAAAAADk/1GSRIaeXFcA/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1SSV0wAe4JQ/TWWrTMv7D3I/AAAAAAAAADk/1GSRIaeXFcA/s320/024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After all of us finished eating, which means it was coming time to return to our families. The company of the other women was more than enjoyable, and I even had the pleasure of meeting a few new members. I can't wait until the next Mom's Night Out!! We will be at a different location next month. I hope the turn out is as great as this evening was! What more could a mom ask for?? Great food, yummy drinks, a little eye candy, and a wonderful group of women to spend some time with!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarriedWithIz/~4/vYluNH9q7VQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Married with Izhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822474683726629827noreply@blogger.com0http://marriedwithiz.blogspot.com/2011/02/mno-2-feb-19th-2011.html